Yolo deputy killed; person taken into custody

By Hudson Sangree, Susan Ferris, and Niesha Lofing
Sacramento Bee
YOLO COUNTY, Calif — A person has been taken into custody in connection to the shooting of a Yolo County Sheriff's deputy, a sheriff's dispatcher confirmed at 8:15 a.m.
It is not yet known whether it is the accused gunman, Marco Antonio Topete.
Dozens of law enforcement officers are swarming the Dunnigan area in search of a man suspected of fatally shooting Deputy Jose Antonio Diaz, 37, of Woodland.
The deputy, a 10-year veteran of the sheriff's department, died Monday morning, Capt. Robin Faille said in a televised interview.Yolo County Sheriff's Capt. Robin Faille holds a photo of Marco Antonio Topete, the man suspected of fatally shooting of a Yolo County sheriff's deputy. Topete, 35, of Arbuckle, was on parole for assault with a deadly weapon, Faille said. (Photo: Hector Amezcua/The Sacramento Bee)

"Right now our priority is finding the suspect," she said.
The massive manhunt for the suspected gunman led to portion of Interstate 5 being closed near Dunnigan. It was finally reopened around 8 a.m., an online California Highway Patrol traffic alert states.
Topete was on parole for assault with a deadly weapon, Faille said.
He was believed to be on foot in the area. A baby recovered from the suspect's car was reported safe. It is unclear whether the baby is related to the man.
Officers had set up a large perimeter in the area and were searching house to house overnight.
On Monday morning, officers from other jurisdictions, including Sacramento and Citrus Heights, joined Yolo County in the manhunt. Helicopter crews also are conducting aerial searches in the area.
Details about the shooting have not yet been released. About 9:30 p.m., the deputy radioed that he had been shot.
Officers responded to the scene and found the wounded deputy and an abandoned baby in Topete's car at the dead-end of County Road 5 at County Road 99. Faille said the man may have been stopped for suspected drunken driving.
Topete is described as 5-foot-8, 150 pounds, with closely cropped black hair and wearing an orange shirt. He has a tattoo on his neck.
At the hospital in Woodland, where the deputy was taken Sunday night, several sheriff's deputy cars were parked outside. One man was weeping in the parking lot, on his knees with his head resting on a deputy's car hood.
Dunnigan is a small Yolo County farm town of about 1,100 people.Wire Service

DUNNIGAN, Calif. --
A parolee accused of killing a Yolo County sheriff's deputy in Dunnigan was captured Monday morning following a massive manhunt that lasted several hours.
Police arrested 35-year-old Arbuckle resident Marco Antonio Topete, Sheriff Ed Prieto told reporters.
The slain deputy, identified as 37-year-old Tony Diaz, was airlifted to Woodland Memorial Hospital, where he later died.
"It's just tragic," Prieto said during a news conference. "It hurts your soul."
Prieto said Diaz worked in information technology for Yolo County for several years before becoming a deputy. He described Diaz as a "very gentle man" and "easy-going."
Prieto said Topete had ties to gangs and served 12 years in prison for shooting another person.
"He is not a stranger to violence," Prieto said of Topete.
Topete was captured shortly before 8 a.m. in a rest area near Interstate 5 in the Dunnigan area.
Prieto said Topete recently moved to Arbuckle from Davis.
"I'm just thankful we have this individual in custody," Prieto said.
Topete was taken to jail in Yolo County for questioning, Prieto added.
Prieto heaped praise on other local police agencies that helped in the search. Dunnigan was swarming with officers from Sacramento, West Sacramento, Davis and elsewhere during the height of the manhunt.
A 10-mile stretch of I-5 was shut down in the area for several hours during the search. The road has since reopened.
The shooting occurred around 10 p.m. Sunday during a traffic stop at County Road 6 and County Road 99W. Police said Topete fled on foot.
Police said the incident began at about 9:30 p.m. in Davis when police tried to pull Topete's car over. Officials said Topete drove way, and a police pursuit continued north to Dunnigan.
Deputies looked in Topete's abandoned car and found an infant, who was said to be doing fine and was identified as Topete's child.